Feature

Reformation Day

Andrew Moody

Each fall many Reformed churches from various backgrounds celebrate an important event in the life and history of the Christian church, the Protestant Reformation. It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany, which is now called Lutherstadt Wittenberg.

Some celebrate this occasion with a community gathering of fun, food, and fellowship. Others bring in speakers for a Reformation Day conference, or ask people to come dressed as one of the reformers, or as a Bible character.

Aside from the fun and games, the fanfare and revelry, we have a great reason to celebrate. The Lord provided his body with men committed unswervingly to the inerrant truth of his Word to lead his sheep out of the many grievous errors of the Roman church. The famous slogans of the Reformation, known as the "five solas," are: sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), sola fide (by faith alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone). Two other important Reformation slogans are semper reformanda (always reforming) and post tenebrus lux (after darkness, light).

A number of excellent articles on the Reformation have been published in New Horizons magazine over the years. I hope you will take some time this month to read them and learn more about what God has done in this important chapter of the history of his church. May the Lord continue to reform his body according to his Word, for his glory alone!